Method of reclaiming mats for newspaper or other printing



Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GORDON W. NELSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF REOLAIMIN G MATS FOR NEWSPAPER OR OTHER PRINTING.

Ii'o Drawing.

The object of this invention is primarily economically to reclaim used newspaper dry mats.

In newspaper and printing establishments,

type is placed in terms and impressions taken therefrom on sheets of material which essentially are of a cardboard or paper-like composition.

Two characters of mats are now in common or ordinary use, known as dry mats and wet mats; one difference between these two mats being that in the preparation or manufacture of the mats, the wet mat is made up with a backing of cardboard like material and the wet mat built up of a series of sheets of tissue applied to said backing.

In the case of a wet mat the impression is made in the tissue sheets and not in the backing which is not usable or practical for the reception of impressions.

In the manufacture of dry mats the same are made of cardboard or paper like composition of a quality capable of receiving impressions. In the case of dry mats notissue sheets are required and the impression is made directly into the cardboard like material.

After the sheets for making the dry mats are prepared as above set forth, the impressions are made thereon, and if the mats are to be used on cylinder machines then they are bent into arcuate form with the impressions on the concave side to constitute a matrix in which is cast a plate to be secured on the cylinder of the printing press or the sheets may remain flat from which a casting may be made which is commonly known in the printing art asa fiat cast. The matrix or mat after having had a casting made therefrom is then usually discarded having served its useful purpose in this connection.

According to my invention, the used matrix, whichordinarily would be discarded as merely waste matter, is now placed in water and permitted to soak for a short period, ordinarily not exceeding five minutes, whereby it will regain its former flexibility. The soaked sheet or mat is then pressed between plane metal surfaces or passed between pressing rolls, or rolls passed upon it so that the mat will be again flat and dried by heating under pressure, and the unused surface or back face of the original mat will be smooth and usable.

When a casting is to be made the sheet which has been treated as described, may

Application filed May 8, 1928. Serial No. 276,205.

be used. The rolled, smooth surface which was previously not used, that is, the rear surface of the original mat which has been made moist or is subsequently moistened is placed upon the set-up type from which animpression may be made by passing the roller over the sheet, as in preparing the original mat. The mat is then dried in the same manner prior to making a casting as above outlined in connection with the making of the mat with the impression on the other side. It may be retained on the set-up type and dried by heat under pressure, or it may be removed from the type and dried upon a plane or curved surface with heat, or in any other preferred manner.

In this simple and inexpensive manner, I reclaim a matrix so that, after it has been once used, an impression may be taken on the reverse side, the usefulness of the material being doubled, and the expense incident to the preparation of such mats reduced practically one half.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The method of reclaiming dry mats for use in preparing matrices for use in newspaper and other printing which comprises rolling a previously used and pro-moistened matrix into a flat sheet and preparing the reverse side of said sheet for the reception of the impression and the impressing thereon to form the matrix.

2. The method of reclaiming dry mats for use in preparing matrices for newspaper and other printing, which consists in soaking a used matrix, then pressing the matrix into a fiat sheet, whereby the reverse side is made available to receive an impression.

3. The method of reclaiming dry mats for use in preparing matrices for newspaper and other printing, which consists in soaking a used matrix, pressing or rolling the same into flat sheet and then heating the matrix under pressure, whereby the reverse side is made available to receive an impression.

4. The method of reclaiming dry mats which consists in soaking the used matrices in liquid for approximately five minutes, then pressing or rolling the said matrices between two pieces of fiat or plain metal sheets, so as to prepare said reverse side for receiving an impression.

5. The method of reclaiming dry mats for use in preparing matrices for use in newspaperand other printingwhich consists in preparrng the reverse srde of" & pl'evlously used dry mat for the receptien oft ihe inrpression.

5 6. The methed ef reclaiming dry beats for use in preparing:matrices for use in newspaper and other prmtmg, Whreh COI1113T1SS the "impression.

In testrmony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. 7 r

GORDON W. NELSON. 

